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☆ The unraveling of fintech darling Vise
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +28 min

It was April, and more than two dozen salespeople who worked for the fintech startup Vise had been ordered to a multiday off-site at the W Hoboken hotel in New Jersey to share exhaustive reports on their performance. Even salespeople at bigger, established, top-tier investment-management firms typically wouldn't close $250 million in a year, multiple sales employees said. (K-means clustering is an unsupervised machine-learning algorithm often referred to as a form of AI, Vise's founders said). (Vise's founders disputed this, saying the company received updated financial data only once a day for its portfolio-construction engine.) And to address its "leaky funnel" of overestimating prospective sales, Vise was to stop outreach to new clients while it onboards and upsells to existing clients, the document said.

☆ The stock market is getting the jitters as this bearish signal flashes red again. Here's why the surge in bond yields is spooking the bulls.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The bond market is capturing a shift higher in interest-rate expectations, which is bad news for stocks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note breached 4% this week for the first time since November. And high bond yields may be here to stay, according to billionaire investors such as Bill Gross and Jeffrey Gundlach. And this change of sentiment is basically what's reflected by the latest jump in bond yields, which has corresponded with declines in stocks. What's next for bond yields?

☆ Bitcoin edges higher after dismal February for risk assets as investors assess rate outlook and new China data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bitcoin and other risk assets rose after strong Chinese manufacturing activity data. The coin on Wednesday was gaining ground on notably strong manufacturing data out of China. China's National Bureau of Statistics said its manufacturing activity index rose to 52.46 in February, the highest reading since April 2012, according to Bloomberg. Chinese stocks bounced higher, with the Hang Seng Index soaring more than 4%. Copper was another risk-on asset gaining ground, up 1.2% at $4.14 per pound on prospects of higher Chinese demand for the metal used for construction projects.

☆ Bonds back on? ETF strategies for the balance-seeking investor
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Kevin Schmidt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

And as yields on 2-year Treasurys approach 5%, single Treasury bond ETFs are attracting big inflows as investors seek balance in an uncertain inflationary environment. The 2-year Treasury yield closed the month of February on a tear, advancing more than 70 basis points for the month and climbing to 4.878% on Wednesday. The iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF (SHV) is comprised of securities with one to 12 months of remaining maturity. The SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF tracks between one and three years. Similarly, VettaFi's Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) focuses on exposure to bonds with that maturity duration.

☆ Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary says energy stocks are the new gold and touts optimism for the US economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Energy stocks are gold in the market, according to "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary. "If you didn't own energy in the last 18 months, you missed the market," he said in a recent interview. O'Leary is bullish on the market this year, despite warnings of a recession and a stock crash from commentators. He previously made the case that the US could still sidestep a recession in 2023, despite warnings of an impending downturn from other Wall Street forecasters. That's contrary to what other Wall Street experts have said, warning of an impending downturn and market crash as the economy shows signs of stress.

☆ The problem with home-flipping giants
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Aj Latrace | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Meanwhile, the corporate scalpers of the housing market — companies that buy and relist homes by the thousands without doing much, if any, work on them to make a profit — are struggling. Last week, two of the biggest remaining corporate home-flipping companies, Opendoor and Offerpad, reported dismal earnings, another sign that their business model is incredibly risky. Kelman also said one "problem is that iBuying is a staggering amount of money and risk for a now-uncertain benefit. At its core, the main business model of home-flipping firms doesn't create a ton of immediate value. Opendoor, Offerpad, and other companies that rushed to purchase homes are now discounting the asking prices of those homes to get them off their books.

☆ The 'everything' bull market is over now that inflation has gone from no problem to a big problem, BlackRock strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Investors can't rely on a bull market to keep lifting asset prices any more, BlackRock's Ben Powell said. Inflation has gone from being no problem to a big problem, the strategist told Bloomberg TV. "We can't just be levered long everything — the 'everything' bull market sadly is over," said Powell, chief APAC strategist at the BlackRock Investment Institute. The outcome of that supply problem is higher inflation, he argued, and it has important implications for investors making portfolio decisions. "The big point being — sorry for this — but it's going to be harder, because inflation has gone from being no problem to a big problem," he added.

☆ FTSE 100 falls as Ocado sinks; still set for best Feb in six years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) lost 0.6% with shares of Ocado (OCDO.L) plunging 10.5% on the online supermarket and technology group's worse-than-expected full-year loss. "Ocado is in the eye of the cost-of-living storm because its offering isn't synonymous with being the best value," said Sophie Lund-Yates, lead equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. Lund-Yates said Ocado is a higher-end option, without the same benefits of enticing people with tangible, physical goods like peer Marks & Spencer (MKS.L). Despite recent volatility, the exporter-heavy FTSE 100 is on track to record its best February performance since 2017 as higher earnings and weakness in the pound earlier in the month made equities more attractive. On the flipside, hedge fund firm Man Group (EMG.L) gained 7.9% after posting a higher full-year core pretax profit and beating expectations on assets under management.

☆ SoftBank, Ant discuss to sell Paytm stake via block deal - ET
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] The interface of Indian payments app Paytm is seen in front of its logo displayed in this illustration picture taken July 7, 2021. REUTERS/Florence Lo/IllustrationFeb 27 (Reuters) - China's Ant Group and Japan's SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) have discussed selling stake in One 97 Communications, which operatesIndian digital payments firm Paytm (PAYT.NS), through a block deal, the Economic Times newspaper reported on Monday. SoftBank, Ant Group, Paytm and Bharti Airtel did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comments. Ant and SoftBank are likely to offload shares gradually in the market as part of their plan to exit Paytm, the report said. China's Alibaba Group (9988.HK) earlier this month sold its remaining stake in Paytm for about 13.78 billion rupees.

☆ Halftime traders are bullish on these energy names, including two that could be a buying opportunity on earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Energy stocks may be lagging the market, but don't count them out just yet, according to "Halftime Report" traders. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund gained a whopping 57.6% in 2022, compared with the S & P 500 's 19.4% drop. XLE YTD mountain Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund YTD performance However, he still advocates an overweight exposure to the energy sector. Sarat Sethi, portfolio manager at Douglas C. Lane & Associates, is also slightly overweight in energy and sees a potential buying opportunity. "Generally speaking, European energy trades much cheaper to US energy for a variety of historical reasons that I think are no longer relevant," she said.

☆ Top 25 roundup: No. 4 UCLA edges Colorado to claim Pac-12 title
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Feb 26, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24) shoots the ball past Colorado Buffaloes guard Luke O'Brien (0) in the second half at the CU Events Center. The Bruins (25-4, 16-2 Pac-12) came into Sunday's matchup needing a win to claim an outright league title, thanks to Arizona's loss on Saturday to Arizona State. However, Colorado jumped to an early lead of 10 points then exchanged the advantage with the visitors throughout the second half. Primo Spears tallied 26 points to lead Georgetown (7-23, 2-17), which has lost its last 12 games against Top 25 teams. Chase Audige had 16 points to pace the Wildcats, but only two came in the second half.

☆ Why the 2023 stock market rally may be over already
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —So much for that big stock market comeback this year. At one point in mid-January, the average of 30 blue chips was up nearly 4% in 2023. It’s harder to justify more expensive valuations for the market in an environment where higher interest rates will likely eat into profits. He speculated that if inflation doesn’t cool off soon, the Fed may need to keep raising rates all the way up to 6%. “If there is a recession, profits will likely fall sharply.”Still, Kelly is cautiously optimistic that 2024 and beyond will be better years for earnings, and therefore stocks.

☆ UK begins long and uncertain road back from Brexit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Neil Unmack | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Britain is beginning the long and uncertain road back from Brexit. Changes to the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol were inevitable. There’s still scope to improve Johnson’s trade deal, struck in 2019. The route back is uncertain, but the symbolic importance of the Northern Ireland deal is not. The agreement marks a “new chapter” in relations between the UK and European Union, Sunak said in a press conference.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Monday: Bouncing stocks, Club earnings ahead, inflation signs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

My top 10 things to watch Monday, Feb. 27 1. One of the things we talked about was the first thing you must do before you buy a single stock. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

☆ Why the resilient US economy is making it difficult for stock investors to thrive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The recent stock rally is crumbling as inflation data shows the Fed still has more work to do. But data also shows the economy is strong, and that could help the US avoid a recession. But investors aren't cheering for a strong economy. This follows data earlier in the month that showed the US economy has been resilient in the face of higher interest rates. And, ultimately, the Fed will have the last word for stocks, even if the economy holds up to its aggressive policy.

☆ A notorious market bear who called the 2000 and 2008 crashes says stocks still have 60% further downside as sky-high valuations remain more inflated than every other crash over the last 100 years exce
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

John Hussman says stocks remain more overvalued than nearly every bubble over the last century. This week, Mike Wilson and Albert Edwards also said stocks remain highly overvalued. Right now, that risk-reward ratio for stocks is abysmal, says John Hussman, the president of the Hussman Investment Trust who called the 2000 and 2008 market crashes. Hussman FundsTo illustrate how out-of-whack stocks are relative to Treasury rates, Hussman compiled the below chart. This would mean around 60% further downside from levels seen earlier this week, when Hussman published the commentary.

☆ Inflation takes a back seat to earnings next week as stocks look to bounce back
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Matthew J. Belvedere | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The latest Fed projection for the so-called terminal rate — the level where the rate hikes stop — was just over 5%. Before this past week, those intraday levels hadn't been seen since November 2022. ET: ISM Services Looking back January's hot reading on core PCE on Friday was the most influential economic number of the past week. In Club earnings this past week, Nvidia (NVDA) was certainly the highlight. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ These highly rated value stocks are doing well this year, and analysts expect them to build on those gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

They also have at 10% or more upside to the average analyst price target, per FactSet. Five-star rated Citigroup is up 11% for the year and has almost 12% upside to the average analyst price target. Shares are up more than 10% year to date and have another 5% upside to the average analyst price target. TFC YTD mountain Truist Financial's year-to-date performance Truist can rally nearly 11% upside over the next 12 months, based on the average analyst price target. Ford Motor shares could also rally almost 11%, according to the average analyst price target.

☆ Domino's Pizza misses sales estimates as demand wavers amid driver shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Domino's Pizza Inc (DPZ.N) missed quarterly sales estimates on Thursday, in a sign that price hikes were eating into demand for its pizzas and chicken wings amidst decades-high inflation, sending its shares down nearly 10% in premarket trade. The Michigan-based company has also been facing acute staffing shortages, especially of delivery drivers at its U.S. stores, which has lengthened delivery times and further dented sales. Still, hiking menu prices by about 7%, as estimated by the company in October, helped Domino's adjusted earnings of $3.97 per share top estimates of $3.94 per share. BTIG analyst Peter Saleh has estimated Domino's currently has the highest level of menu pricing in more than a decade. Reporting by Mehr Bedi and Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Milla NissiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Reddit-loving retail investors are making their chaotic presence felt again - and their risky behavior is fueling a stock rally that doesn't look sustainable
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Bullish sentiment has returned in a big way among retail investors as they've started the year piling record amounts into stocks. Speculative bets are backSome of what retail investors are buying has troubled observers. Different from 2021, however, is that institutional and retail investors look like they're on the same team, at least to a noticeable degree. To JPMorgan's Kolanovic, retail investors' optimism foreshadows future weakness in the stock market, as weak hands get wiped out by volatility, similar to how 2022 played out. With the Fed still set to tighten monetary policy, retail investors' enthusiasm for risky assets could backfire like it did last year.

☆ Thoma Bravo and Clearlake have posted negative returns for a major endowment, according to exclusive performance data. Middle-market firms have been much stronger.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The returns show losses from Thoma Bravo and Clearlake, though the funds are new and PE is a long game. Thoma Bravo and Clearlake Capital Group, two private-equity firms that have emerged as notably active investors in recent years, have posted early losses across some of their funds, according to investment returns from a major US endowment. UTIMCO invested $51.7 million in Clearlake's seventh flagship private equity fund, known as Clearlake Capital Partners VII, which closed with some $14 billion of commitments last May. Thoma Bravo declined to comment. Meanwhile, the data show high returns from CapRock Partners, Renovus Capital Partners, Serve Capital Partners, and LFM Capital, PE firms that target middle-market companies.

☆ Unsure about the market rally? Strategist picks 3 stocks to stay ‘defensively offensive’
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"There are basically two stories in the market today," Rahul Ghosh, portfolio specialist, equity division at T. Rowe Price, told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Thursday. Be 'defensively offensive' In this environment, Ghosh said investors should look to be "almost defensively offensive." Stock Ideas One of Ghosh's top stock picks is chip maker Nvidia , which he described as a "clear winner" in the artificial intelligence "arms race." We're talking about slowing from 50% growth rate to 30%, and potentially picking up next year. Are we going to potentially slow down and have a hard landing, a no landing, or a soft landing?

☆ The good news is markets look resilient — but the bad news is just about everything else
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wizardry aside, let's see why the stock market has proved so resilient this year, even though the economy's providing nothing to cheer for. DataTrek cofounder Nicholas Colas is chalking up stable markets to strong earnings. "The only explanation that makes sense to us for this conundrum of 'bad' news and stable markets is that US corporate earnings power remains resilient," Colas wrote in a Thursday note to clients. Even as markets act like everything's fine, there's still not quite enough optimism among investors to say that markets are nearing a peak, according to Ned Davis Research. A top-ranked stock-picker said January's hot CPI report suggests the stock market is far from the bottom.

☆ Optimism about stocks is still too high as the US economy is showing 'the overheat before the retreat', JPMorgan strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Investors are still too optimistic about the outlook for stocks, JP Morgan Asset Management's Meera Pandit told CNBC. The market's reacting to strong economic data, but that's 'probably the overheat before the retreat,' she said. "Right now it's reacting to very strong economic data, overshoot on jobs, CPI, PPI retail sales, industrial production, but I would say that this is probably the overheat before the retreat in the economy," Pandit told CNBC on Thursday. US labor-market data has remained strong in recent months and inflation fell in January to 6.4% — the lowest level in over a year. That's stoked some investor optimism that the central bank may be able to bring inflation down without tipping the economy into a recession.

☆ China's new home prices rise in Jan for first time in a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

More major cities among the 70 surveyed by NBS reported increases in new home prices last month, with prices rising in 36 cities, up from 15 in December. Analysts see rising home prices as a positive sign, but believe more stimulative policies are needed to lift currently dismal demand and spark a longer-term recovery. The property sector, once an engine of the world's second-largest economy, has been hobbled by fragile demand and developers' mounting debt defaults. Prices were down 1.5% year-on-year in January, with the rate of decline unchanged from December. "The roots of the crisis in China's property sector lie in the worsening long-term outlook for demand," said Mark Williams, chief Asia economist at Capital Economics.

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